Johnny Stompanato
John Stompanato | |
|---|---|
Stompanato with Lana Turner | |
| Birth name | John Stompanato Jr. |
| Nicknames | Johnny, Jack, Handsome Harry, Johnny Stomp, John Steele, Oscar |
| Born | October 10, 1925 Woodstock, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | April 4, 1958 (aged 32) |
| Place of burial | Oakland Cemetery, Woodstock IL |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Service years | 1943–1946 |
| Rank | Private |
| Unit | Service Battalion, 1st Marine Division |
| Conflicts | World War II |
| Spouses | Sara Utush
(m. 1946; div. 1949) |
| Other work | Mob Bodyguard |
John Stompanato Jr. (October 10, 1925 – April 4, 1958) was a United States Marine and gangster who became a bodyguard and enforcer for the gangster Mickey Cohen.
In the mid-1950s, he began an abusive relationship with the actress Lana Turner. In 1958, he was stabbed to death by Turner's daughter, Cheryl Crane, who said she did it to defend her mother from a vicious beating by Stompanato. His death was ruled as justifiable homicide because he had been killed in self-defense.